On certain passenger vehicles equipped with 3800 v6 (l36) engines and certain delphi fuel pressure regulators, the regulators have a much higher than usual rate of fuel leaks. a leak can allow fuel to enter the intake manifold through a vacuum line. if the engine does not start when cranked, the fuel from the leaking regulator and a mistimed spark can cause a backfire.

Consequence Summary

The backfire can rupture the intake manifold. the rupture of the intake manifold can displace a fuel line, pulling an injector out of place, and causing a fuel leak and possible fire.

Corrective Summary

Dealers will install new fuel pressure regulators with improved diaphragms. the recall will be conducted in phased mailings. phase 1 began on june 30, 2004, and phase 2 began on september 30, 2004. owners should contact buick at 1-866-608-8080, oldsmobile at 1-800-630-6537, or pontiac at 1-800-620-7668.

Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with a 3.4l engine and non-antilock braking system (abs). these vehicles fail to comply with requirements of fmvss no. 301, fuel system integrity. a fuel return line can become severed in a frontal collision, resulting in fuel spillage.

Consequence Summary

If an ignition source was present, a fire could occur.

Corrective Summary

Dealers will install a brake master cylinder bracket that will maintain positioning of the fuel line in a frontal crash. owner notification began june 29, 2001. owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020.

Certain delphi fuel pressure regulators, p/nos. fp10020-11b1, fp10026-11b1, and fp10027-11b1, sold after january 9, 2007, as aftermarket equipment for various passenger vehicles listed above. the universal pressure regulators (upr) were produced without an o'ring and retainer.

Consequence Summary

Fuel may leak, possibly resulting in a fire.

Corrective Summary

Delphi will notify owners and replace the upr free of charge. the recall began on april 23, 2007. owners can contact delphi at 877-411-8770.

Notes

This recall only pertains to aftermarket delphi fuel pressure regulators and has no relation to any original equipment installed by general motors.customers may contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty: 1-800-424-9153); or go to http://www.safercar.gov.

Bulletins

Bulletin

Bulletin date

Replacement Bulletin

Item no.

Summary

Added

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE - DELIVERY

01035

06/29/2001

623528

Some vehicles fail to conform to federal motor vehicle safety standard 301, fuel system integrity, in a frontal crash test, the fuel return line of a vehicle equipped with a 3.4l engine and a non-abs brake system was severed and leaked more

10/29/2001

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE - STORAGE - TANK ASSEMBLY

020101

01/02/2001

618156

Information on vehicles exhibiting an opr valve causing diagnostic trouble code p0442, or causing a leak, air will be heard exiting the rubber dump hose located on the left side of the fuel tank. *tt

04/06/2001

Investigations

NHTSA ID

Manufacturer

Date open

Date close

Subject

Recall campaign

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

EA02030

GENERAL MOTORS CORP.

10/22/2002

03/09/2004

ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES

04V090000

Ea02-030 is closed with gmea02-030 is closed with gm

EA02030

GENERAL MOTORS CORP.

10/22/2002

03/09/2004

ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES

03V473000

Ea02-030 is closed with gmea02-030 is closed with gm

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE - DELIVERY

EA02030

GENERAL MOTORS CORP.

10/22/2002

03/09/2004

ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES

04V090000

Ea02-030 is closed with gmea02-030 is closed with gm

EA02030

GENERAL MOTORS CORP.

10/22/2002

03/09/2004

ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES

03V473000

Ea02-030 is closed with gmea02-030 is closed with gm

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE - DELIVERY - HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS

EA02030

GENERAL MOTORS CORP.

10/22/2002

03/09/2004

ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES

03V473000

Ea02-030 is closed with gmea02-030 is closed with gm

EA02030

GENERAL MOTORS CORP.

10/22/2002

03/09/2004

ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES

04V090000

Ea02-030 is closed with gmea02-030 is closed with gm

Consumer Complaints

Fail date

miles

occurences

Purchase date

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

11/01/2012

1

I w also as driving into a shopping plaza and my steering wheel locked and my car steered across the entrance after a couple of minutes it started back up.i am so nervous because the steering wheel locked,also every now and then it just wont start up and then all of a sudden it will. the gas gauge doesn't work either so you cant judge the gas never received any recall notices i have a 2000 chevy impala. *tr

07/15/2003

35000

Tl- the contact owns a 2000 chevrolet impala. while driving at approximately 35 mph the contact noticed the fuel gauge read empty. the contact stated the vehicle had fuel at the time. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostics. the technicians stated the floater in the fuel tank needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not available. the approximate failure mileage was 35,000. ds

04/11/2009

124000

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 chevrolet impala. the contact stated that she traveled for five minutes in the vehicle and upon returning to her residence, she observed smoke coming from under the hood. within a few minutes, the vehicle was engulfed in flames. a fire report was filed. the contact confirmed that there were no prior warnings that indicated a potential fire. the contact was able to locate three recalls for her year, make and model that could potentially cause a fire (nhtsa campaign id numbers 04v090000, 01v136000 and 04v090000). the manufacturer took possession of the vehicle april 2009 and has yet to communicate the outcome to the contact. the manufacturer would not confirm if any of the recalls applied specifically to vin. the failure mileage was 124,000 and the current mileage was 124,000.

02/10/2010

99000

On feb.10th or 11th.my neighbor was attempting to jump start my car because the battery had failed due to a 3 day snow storm. after turned the ignition the second time, there was a loud boom. when we checked the engine, we noted the manifold cover had cracked into several pieces. also the wires were on fire. my neighbor quickly extinguished the flames. later, i went to my dealer(frank z chevrolet in dayton, oh. about the problem. i was told by the assistant service manager that the repairs could cost from $1,800-$2,000 mainly due to the fire damage. since i have been unemployed for 18 months, i have not had the car towed to the dealer for an estimate of actual damage.

03/12/2007

1

No crash, but the speedometer, tachometer,gas gauge goes wacky most of the time the gas gauge does not work at all, the speedometer works about 25 percent of the time, i have read complaints from other impala owners on line and they all have the same problem, what i would like to see is a recall from g.m. it is a safety concern because you don't know how fast you are going. also most of them said the temp. gauge goes also and that concerns me if you car would overheat you wouldn't even know that it happened, until it was to late, now you would have to invest in a new motor and that is way to costly. please see if there is anything you can do to help the problem to be fixed, were all in this together. they also said that the repair was to cost $500.00. *tr

06/30/2008

92000

1

Like everyone else w/ a 2000 impala i have faulty, non-working turn signals all the way to the major problems of the intake gasket problem to the most severe - the problem of the car stalling while driving or sitting at a light. and no one can pin pointe the actual problem. my car used to just stall out at least once or twice a day while driving. now the car has given up and i'm about to too. it starts when it wants... i wish life worked that way but it doesn't. today i decided to research recalls on the car and found out everyone has the problems i do but chevy has not taken care of anyone. please take note this is serious. *tr

06/05/2007

150000

1

For almost a year now, my fuel indicator fluctuates. only time it reads accurately is when it is full, or almost empty. a coworker who also owns an impala has said that he just started experiencing the same problem. *tr

02/04/2008

120000

1

Tried to start our car. there was a loud bang and the fuel line came off the intake manifold and the intake manifold ruptured. *tr

12/12/2001

17947

5

02/22/2000

Car won't start, takes quite a few tries. doesn't always happen, also will just stall. fuel pressure regulator was replace, but has happened since, also have replaced throttle out of warranty. *nm

09/18/2004

90000

3

04/20/2000

Consumer complained that the fuel gauge was not registering the proper amount of fuel in the fuel tank. consumer was concerned that vehicle would run out of fuel while driving on the highway, which could cause a rear end collision. *ak *nm

10/06/1999

Vehicle had a slight intermittent problem with cutting off when it was cold outside. dealer said it could be there wasn't enough oxygen getting into the fuel.also, something seemed to be wrong with suspension that it rocked back & forth when you applying brakes & starting to go up a hill. dealer & gmc are both saying that the something is wrong with the suspension torsion bar. *ak

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE - DELIVERY

09/12/2006

78000

1

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 chevrolet impala. while the vehicle was in the shop for repairs (unrelated to the engine) the engine failed. the errors did not appear when the diagnostics were performed. the contact was initially called to come and retrieve the vehicle, but in the same conversation, she was informed that something failed in the engine. the contact was also informed that she should probably get rid of the vehicle. the engine was replaced. nhtsa campaign id number 04v090000 (fuel system, gasoline:delivery) was referenced. the contact spent $1,000 to have the engine replaced. the current and failure mileages were 78,000. updated 08/27/08. *lj the consumer stated the crankshaft position sensor, ignition switch and fuel regulator was replaced. updated 08/27/08

04/02/2007

136000

1

02/17/2002

Was having a hard time starting the car at times, especially on short trips in town. took about 7 cranks to finally get it started. drove the car the next day, everything seemed okay did not drive car at all over the weekend. got into the car on monday and heard a huge noise. i thought the windshield broke. looked up and saw smoke coming from under hood. unlatched hood, and saw the intake manifold exploded along with the intake plenum, and there was a fire. burnt the injector connectors. car was now at dealership, and chevrolet was sending an investigator to look at car as this was a possible result from a recall by gm regarding the fuel pressure regulator, which i took to dealer to have it replaced. hopefully gm will take off this.*ak

12/13/2005

106984

1

09/07/2003

I went out to start my 2000 chevy impala with a 3.8l engine and upon cranking the engine there was a load bang. i immediately noticed smoke coming out from underneath the hood. i got out and opened the hood and saw that the top of the engine was on fire. i was able to put the fire out with a fire extinguisher. i towed the vehicle to a local dealer and it was noted that the upper intake manifold had exploded and the fire was caused by the fuel line being displaced. chevy said they are not responsible for the incident even though there are recalls for the 3.8l engine under the campaign number 04v090000. my vin # is 2g1wh55k6y9251562. *jb

08/01/2005

50000

100

07/01/1999

My chevy impals ls 2000 has been stalling while hot on the parkway. this is a serious situation. this was happening intermintely about every few months, then recently it has become a daily event. maybe 1 - 6 times a day while on my way to work. the drive is about 30 miles, one way, and it stalls usually toward the end of the trip. i had the throdle body replaced last wednesday at the dealer, and it did not fix the problem. before that the gas filter was replaced. this weekend it happened four time on saturday and four times on sunday. this is a very dangerious situation especially on the parkway. i have had it to the dealer a number of times and they cannot identify the problem. after these stalls other cars are almost running me off the road. i have been lucky. i love the car and don't want to get rid of it, but if this keeps up i may have to.*ak

12/23/2003

55896

1

10/15/2000

Fuel pressure regulator failure 3.4l v6 engine. *nm

09/09/2004

45850

30

The car will stall without warning while traveling at any speed. has nearly caused 6 accidents. there is no warning proceeding this. it is dangerous to drive on any higway. have had the car for repair about 8 times. have replaced: wires, filters, plugs and sensors without results. still no correct diagnosis.*ak

07/14/2001

1

10/17/2000

The vehicle was taken to the dealer to have recall c01035-s performed and was told it would take 15 min, the consumer sat in the dealer for 1.75 hours before the work was complete, the consumer was led to believe that the recall repair was being performed, it wasnot until the consumer read the invoice that she realized that it was not done, the consumer contacted the dealer and was told the the necessary part for repair is not available. nlm

08/06/2000

1

05/01/2000

Dealer found raw gas polling on hot engine block. examination by dealer showed fuel return line leaking due to rodent damage. return line components are made of a composite material which apparently attracts small gnawing rodents which are gnawing on to the point of destruction causing fuel leaks and also gnawing on electrical wiring. general motor cars parked in this garage for the past 38 have never been damaged in this manner. i suspect something in the composite material is attracting gnawing rodents. having contacted general motors customer service i was told there is nothing under the hood that would attract rodents. general motors refused to accept that the composite material may be attracting gnawing rodents. having owned various gm cars over the past 50 years i have never had a safety problem due to rodent damage. something used in the manufacture of this car is attracting gnawing animals.*ak

08/24/2000

1

04/03/2000

While driving there was a loud clunk. driver pulled over, opened the hood, and discovered flames coming from engine. vehicle has not been seen.*ak there was a hole in the gas line where it went into the engine and this caused a flash fire. *yh

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE - DELIVERY - FUEL PUMP

07/14/2005

81000

1

05/13/2002

1. i discoverd i had a slow gas leak in the gas return lines. i had been smelling gas for several months but just thought it was a spill in the trunk possibly or something else. i never suspected it to be a leak because the car was so new and in excellent condition and had never been treated roughly. 2. i couldn't drive the car for several weeks trying to figure out what it was and if it was a recall or not, it wasn't clear. the consequences could have been much worse if i hadn't found the leak. 3. i took the car to my mechanic, they said it was a recall; they suggested i take it to a chevrolet dealership and have them fix it. i did that and they informed me that they were not able to fix it becuase it wasn't included in the recall. i took it back to the original mechanic and they fixed it for exactly half the price the chevrolet dealership was trying to charge... anyway, i am out of pocket a lot of money for a relatively new car. the recall on the website seems to include the gas hoses but when i called general motors, they said my vin # wasn't included in the recall. my mechanic advised me to file a complaint becuase it clearly states that my car should be included in the recall!

02/17/2004

66000

1

When driving at an undetermined speed, the vehicle stalled. this caused the driver to drift to the side of the road. the consumer had the vehicle towed to the dealer. the mechanic informed the owner that the fuel pump had failed. please provide any further details. *jb

05/15/2004

18000

8

04/20/2000

Vehicle stalls, moving anywere from 30-70-mph. has nearly caused 4 accidents. twice we were nearly rearended; once this happended when we were passing a vehicle and we lost control; and once this occurred as i was driving around a corner towards a group of children. has been to dealer for repair 6 times for same cause. still not correctly diagnosed or repaired. is unsafe to drive. dealer has replaced wires, plugs, fuel pump, and computer parts to no avail.*ak

Car was idling in park when incident occurred. dealer's work order states excessive current load from fuel pump burned wire terminal at ignition block. repaired burned wire terminal and replaced fuel pump. since fuel pump is located in gas tank, any electrical failure of this part could cause a major fire. *ak

02/04/2000

1

01/01/2000

This problem happened while the car was idling in park. the engine died and i was unable to restart the car. roadside assistance suggested i wait 10 min. and restart. it did but it died again after 2 min. cheverolet dealer work order described problem as follows excessive current load from fuel pump burned wire terminal at ignition block. repaired burned wire terminal and replaced fuel pump.

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE - DELIVERY - HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS

07/14/2005

81000

1

05/13/2002

1. i discoverd i had a slow gas leak in the gas return lines. i had been smelling gas for several months but just thought it was a spill in the trunk possibly or something else. i never suspected it to be a leak because the car was so new and in excellent condition and had never been treated roughly. 2. i couldn't drive the car for several weeks trying to figure out what it was and if it was a recall or not, it wasn't clear. the consequences could have been much worse if i hadn't found the leak. 3. i took the car to my mechanic, they said it was a recall; they suggested i take it to a chevrolet dealership and have them fix it. i did that and they informed me that they were not able to fix it becuase it wasn't included in the recall. i took it back to the original mechanic and they fixed it for exactly half the price the chevrolet dealership was trying to charge... anyway, i am out of pocket a lot of money for a relatively new car. the recall on the website seems to include the gas hoses but when i called general motors, they said my vin # wasn't included in the recall. my mechanic advised me to file a complaint becuase it clearly states that my car should be included in the recall!

08/15/2004

66000

1

10/18/1999

Smelled gasoline. fuel pressure regulator failed. was replaced, old part is not available. *jb

1

Consumer states the fuel pressure regulator and fuel filter were replaced.*jb

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE - FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM

11/22/2006

114500

1

09/27/1999

After not being used for approximately one month, i tried to start my 2000 chevrolet impala with 114,000 (+/-) miles. the car did not start. i connected jumper cables and again tried. the car did not turn over. i waited a few moments and then tried again. when i turned the key, there was an explosion and fire. i turned the key off and disconnected the cables. the top of the upper intake had exploded. the plastic engine cover had disconnected and the oil filler cap/tube had projected to the neighbor's yard. the top of the motor, fuel line and surrounding wires/insulation was on fire. the fire was put out by smothering. i called a mechanic directly after the incident and was informed of a recall for the fuel pressure regulator. after viewing the recall for for the 3.8l (vin k) fuel pressure regulator, the potential situation of a low battery combined with the leaking regulator causing a backfire and thus explosion was exactly what happened. i contacted local chevrolet dealerships and was there was no recall for my vehicle. i then contacted chevrolet customer service via a phone call on december 4, 2006. after multiple phone calls over the next few weeks, i was requested to have the car towed, at my expense, to a local dealership so chevrolet could sent a representative to inspect. chevrolet then called me the beginning of january to tell me that they feel the low battery caused the explosion and thus, they were not responsible. i asked for a copy of their inspection report and was told it was chevrolet property and would not be released. i then searched the nhtsa website and found vehicle recall bulletin 03054-b which my vin # is within the range given for 2000 impala. i again called chevrolet with this information and was told that even though my # was in the range, it might not have been involved, but in any event, they had inspected the vehicle and found they were not at fault. therefore, chevrolet's decision would not be changed. *nm

1

Consumer states the fuel pressure regulator and fuel filter were replaced.*jb

Paint is peeling off of front bumper and grill has been painted 4 times and is still peeling off/ replaced 4 injectors and module/ had to have front and rear end aligned/ had to buy 4 new tires/ car won't hold on incline/ can hear gas slouch in gas tank/has a popping in the front end/

01/31/2000

1

06/01/1999

Scorched wires found under the dash, r-134a leaking into car from independant tester, daytime running lights occasionally, exhaust system damaged from excessive heatand fuel economy is only 10 mpg

When the consumer pumped gas, the gas nozzle automatically shut off before the tank was full, consumer believed air was in the tank. *jb

Consumer states while driving the fuel moves making noise. please provide any additional information. ts

02/01/2001

Engine check light comes on intermittently. dealer reports egr valve is bad, but can not get part for several weeks. when driving vehicle over bumps, turning corners or stopping, occupants can hear fuel in fuel tank sloshing/splashing from inside passenger compartment *ak.

1

11/01/1999

When the vehicle hits a bump, the gas tank hits the bottom of the car. nlm

11/19/1999

100

11/01/1999

No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak

11/01/1999

1

11/01/1999

While driving on road and hitting bumps gas tank hit bottom of rear end, this usually happened at about 20-25 mph. ever since this has occurred, gas tank has become loose. *ak the consumer feels unsafe driving the vehcile with loose fuel tank. *yh

Complete stall on highway at 50mph. almost rear ended by truck. car rolls back when at stop. steering wheel vibration while stopped. gas sloshes while in tank. *ak

06/12/2000

0

11/30/1999

While driving could hear noise coming from the fuel tank, fuel splashing inside, as the tank has a loose part at this movement. *ak

02/06/2000

02/05/2000

When pulling into parking space or backing out of garage can feel gasoline moving back and forth in the fuel tank. also, when entering the trunk or leaning against the vehicle can feel gasoline moving back and forth. contacted the dealer, and dealer changed fuel tank. the replacement tank has the same problem as the original. *ak *ml

When fuel tank is filled up over 3/4 with gas, consumer can hear gas swishing around when pulling out or coming to a stop. it feels like vehicle is being hit in the rear. dealer has been contacted. *ak

10/30/1999

Able to hear fuel sloshing in the fuel tank when coming to a stop. dealer notifed, and informed consumer that nothing can be done. *ak

04/01/2000

07/01/1999

Re: your odi#550849 and odi#856909 - i too experience gas sloshing in fuel tank and the feeling of being tapped on the rear bumper , or perhaps a bowling ball rolling around in the trunk, when stopping. -dealer advised us that the bellows ??? in the gas tank may have separated and advised us to return vehicle with empty fuel tank so that it could be removed and examined. *ak

1

09/01/1999

Whenever coming to a stop fuel can be felt splashing around, bumping the vehicle. dealer has been contacted. *ak the dealer put a replacement in the gas tank it didn't solve the problem. so they pulled it out and installed the orignal part back in the gas tank. the problem is worse. *yh

11/24/1999

2

09/29/1999

Gas tank moves/slosh while start up and stopping. consumer concerned that this condition may cause and accident. nlm

FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER

01/13/2009

120000

1

Car caught on fire when it was turned on. *tr

06/24/2005

5

11/23/2003

My car stalls while i am driving. i don't even break or anything it just shuts down completely. the fuel regulator was replaced in the end of may 2005. when they replaced the fuel regulator, it seemed okay for a while, but then it started messing up again. i also replaced the fuel filter and it is still stalling.

12/07/2003

1

10/05/2003

On sunday morning december 7,2003 my 11 yr old and i were heading out, i started my 2000 impala ls and boom!! the car blew,shook, and started smoking, we both jumped out. my neighbors came running to see what had happen. i called my insurance and they had a tow truck come get the car to my mechanic. turns out the fuel pressure regulator malfuntion and blew and caused the explosion. my mechanic and i both called cheverlet on this, there response wasnot enough reports for a recallbut to save my reciepts and when there is i will be reimbursed.i got a report number and that was it.after almost 2 weeks i got my car back and paid over $1500.00 in repairs for the damages caused from it. i finally got a recall letter , called cheverlet and they gave me another file number to put on my claim form.i just got a call from them this past friday informing me they will only reimburse me 800 and some change. when i asked why, all mario johnson could say was thats all were willing to pay you. so i asked him if everyone whos car blew up from this is going to half to eat almost 50% of the cost from there faulty part? he refused to answer me. i belive i am entitled to my total cost of repair of the $1500 + , not the 800 and some change they are offering me for there errorand default on this car. i hope you can help me and others who are and will be in the same perdictament as myself get all of our hard earned money back. thank you. *ak

FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER - DELIVERY

09/26/2003

48000

100

04/04/2000

Engine stalls and cuts out when turning or going strait afterthe engine is above 2000rpm and foot is released from the gas peda, sometimes can save it if i step on gas pedal befor tach reaches 500rpmsl. have to shift into neutral and restart to avoid any accidents. airbag light comes on and will go off after driving the car for awhile. turn signal will not work everynow and then, have to restart the car to get them to work. engine will not start right away, 2nd crank will start possible faulty fuel pump. 58000 miles. problems started jan 2003. 2000 impala ls

FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER - STORAGE - FUEL GAUGE SYSTEM

07/01/2004

100000

1

03/01/2003

The fuel gauge on my 2000 impala reads full all the time the car is moving. i have co worker with the same car and same problem. *ak